232 lines
8.9 KiB
Markdown
232 lines
8.9 KiB
Markdown
systemd-cron-next
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=================
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[](https://travis-ci.org/systemd-cron/systemd-cron-next)
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## What's it?
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This is a compatibility layer for crontab-to-systemd timers framework. It works by parsing
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crontab and anacrontab files from usual places like `/etc/crontab` and `/var/spool/cron`
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and generating systemd timers and services. You can use `cron.target` as a single control
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point for the generated units.
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It's intented to be drop-in replacement for all cron implementations.
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## Rationale
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The crontab generator for systemd (implemented in C) was already [published][] on maillist,
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but was later [declined][] by Lennart:
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> I am not convinced this is a really good idea. From my perspective at
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least it appears that we should much rather just convert the crontabs
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and that's it. Unlike sysv init scripts the number of crontab in use (at
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least on Fedora) is relatively small, and very rare in third-party
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packages.
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>
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> Lennart
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While I'm generally agree with him, I'm not totally convinced it's always convenient to herd a bunch of
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separate `*.timer` and `*.service` files. I find convenient to have all jobs schedule in one single file,
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and it's more obvious to see relations in jobs scheduling if you have several jobs on sight at once.
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All things considered, I think people should have an alternative here, so I decided to support
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the idea of systemd crontab generator. Though the original C implementation of crontab parser
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from maillist is very incomplete: it doesn't support monotonic schedules (like `@daily` or `@yearly`),
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it can't parse comments and environment variable settings, etc.
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Hence I decided to create **systemd-crontab-generator**.
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[published]: http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/systemd-devel/2013-August/012591.html
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[declined]: http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/systemd-devel/2013-September/013120.html
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## History
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I'm not very good in C, so C implementation (while it's recommended for generators) whould take
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me ages to write, so at first I used Python for proof-of-concept implementation.
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Then my small home project was noticed by **[@systemd-cron][]** project and eventually was merged
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into it and evolved thanks to **Alexanre Detiste**, **Dwayne Bent** and others.
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Still I beared in mind the image of the project's future: rewrite it in systems language.
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Python, being VM-based scripting language is not the best choice for system service:
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it's slow (the slowest systemd generator ever, actually), have problems with multithreading,
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requires a lot of hacks like setgid/setuid C helper to implement crontab, etc.
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Meanwhile the [Rust][] systems language, I liked very much from the very beginning,
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[reached its 1.0][announce], so I decided to grab the moment and rewrite everything in Rust.
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The current version you are starring at is meant to be a successor of **[@systemd-cron][]**
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project, fully rewritten in Rust from ground up, while preserving experience, systemd unit
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templates and main algorithms and solutions polished in Python version by **[@systemd-cron][]** team.
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[Rust]: http://www.rust-lang.org
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[announce]: http://blog.rust-lang.org/2015/05/15/Rust-1.0.html
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## Usage
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The generator runs on system boot and when the crontabs change.
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The project includes simple `crontab` command equivalent, which behaves like standard crontab command
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(and accepts the same main options).
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After installation add executable scripts to the appropriate cron directory (e.g. `/etc/cron.daily`)
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and enable systemd-cron:
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# systemctl daemon-reload
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# systemctl enable cron.target
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# systemctl start cron.target
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The scripts should now be automatically run by systemd. See man:systemd.cron(7) for more information.
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To further control cron jobs, use `cron.target` unit.
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## Dependencies
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* systemd ≥ 197
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* systemd ≥ 209, yearly timers
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* systemd ≥ 212, persistent timers
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* systemd ≥ 217, minutely, quarterly & semi-annually timers
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* [run-parts][]
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* /usr/sbin/sendmail (optional, evaluated at runtime)
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[run-parts]: http://packages.qa.debian.org/d/debianutils.html "debianutils"
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## Installation
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If you are on [Archlinux][arch], install from [AUR][aur], otherwise see `PKGBUILD` file and
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execute commands from `package()` sub.
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[arch]: https://www.archlinux.org/
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[aur]: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/systemd-crontab-generator/
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## Packaging
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### Building
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$ ./configure
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$ make
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You will need [Rust stable][rust-install] compiler (tested with 1.5.0) and cargo tool to build the project.
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[rust-install]: http://www.rust-lang.org/install.html
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### Staging
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$ make DESTDIR="$destdir" install
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### Configuration
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The `configure` script takes command line arguments to configure various details of the build. The following options
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follow the standard GNU [installation directories][4]:
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* `--prefix=<path>`
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* `--bindir=<path>`
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* `--confdir=<path>`
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* `--datadir=<path>`
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* `--libdir=<path>`
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* `--statedir=<path>`
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* `--mandir=<path>`
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* `--docdir=<path>`
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Other options include:
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* `--unitdir=<path>` Path to systemd unit files.
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Default: `<libdir>/systemd/system`.
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* `--runpaths=<path>` The path installations should use for the `run-parts` executable.
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Default: `<prefix>/bin/run-parts`.
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* `--enable-boot[=yes|no]` Include support for the boot timer.
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Default: `yes`.
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* `--enable-minutely[=yes|no]` Include support for the minutely timer. Requires systemd ≥ 217.
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Default: `no`.
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* `--enable-hourly[=yes|no]` Include support for the hourly timer.
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Default: `yes`.
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* `--enable-daily[=yes|no]` Include support for the daily timer.
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Default: `yes`.
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* `--enable-weekly[=yes|no]` Include support for the weekly timer.
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Default: `yes`.
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* `--enable-monthly[=yes|no]` Include support for the monthly timer.
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Default: `yes`.
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* `--enable-quarterly[=yes|no]` Include support for the quarterly timer. Requires systemd ≥ 217.
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Default: `no`.
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* `--enable-semi_annually[=yes|no]` Include support for the semi-annually timer. Requires systemd ≥ 217.
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Default: `no`.
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* `--enable-yearly[=yes|no]` Include support for the yearly timer. Requires systemd ≥ 209.
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Default: `no`.
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* `--enable-persistent[=yes|no]` Make timers [persistent][5]. Requires systemd ≥ 212.
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Default: `no`.
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A typical configuration for the latest systemd would be:
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$ ./configure --prefix=/usr --confdir=/etc --enable-yearly --enable-persistent
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If you only want the generator (you'll have to provide your own `/etc/crontab` to drive /etc/cron.daily/ etc...):
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$ ./configure --enable-boot=no --enable-hourly=no --enable-daily=no --enable-weekly=no --enable-month=no --enable-persistent --prefix=/usr --confdir=/etc
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### Caveat
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Your package should also run these extra commands before starting cron.target
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to ensure that @reboot scripts doesn't trigger right away:
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# touch /run/crond.reboot
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# touch /run/crond.bootdir
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## See Also
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`systemd.cron(7)` or in source tree `man -l src/man/systemd.cron.7`
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## Disclaimer
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This is a beta product! Use at your own risk! I'm not responsible for any data losses,
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time losses, money losses or any other failures due to use or misuse of this project!
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I've run this product on my local server for several months without issues, but it does not
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mean you will have no issues as well! Don't blame me for any crashes because of the product!
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You were warned!
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## License
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The main part of a project is licensed under [MIT][].
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Crontab man page is derived from [Vixie Cron][vixie] and licensed under *Paul-Vixie's-license*.
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[vixie]: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Cron#vixie-cron
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[MIT]: http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
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## Contribution
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You are most welcome to post [bugs][issues] and [PRs][pulls]!
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Also check out [comments][] in AUR for current news about Arch package status.
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[issues]: https://github.com/kstep/systemd-crontab-generator/issues
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[pulls]: https://github.com/kstep/systemd-crontab-generator/pulls
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[comments]: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/systemd-crontab-generator/?comments=all
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## Copyright
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Original **[@systemd-cron][]** project:
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- © 2013-2014 Dwayne Bent
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- © 2013 Dominik Peteler
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- © 2014 Daniel Schaal <farbing@web.de>
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Systemd crontab generator evolution, tooling and support:
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- © 2014 Alexandre Detiste <alexandre@detiste.be>
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- © 2014 Dwayne Bent
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Original systemd crontab generator code in Python, Rust version:
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- © 2014-2015 Konstantin Stepanov <me@kstep.me>
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Systemd crontab generator man-page (*man/systemd-crontab-generator.8.in*):
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- © 2014 Alexandre Detiste <alexandre@detiste.be>
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Crontab man-page (*man/crontab.5.in*):
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- © 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, Paul Vixie <paul@vix.com>
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- © 1994, Ian Jackson <ian@davenant.greenend.org.uk>
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- © 1996-2005, Steve Greenland <stevegr@debian.org>
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- © 2005-2006, 2008-2012, Javier Fernández-Sanguino Peña <jfs@debian.org>
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- © 2010-2011, 2014 Christian Kastner <debian@kvr.at>
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- Numerous contributions via the Debian BTS copyright their respective authors
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Debian packaging:
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- © 2013 Shawn Landden <shawn@churchofgit.com>
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- © 2014 Alexandre Detiste <alexandre@detiste.be>
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[@systemd-cron]: https://github.com/systemd-cron/systemd-cron
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